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(No Model.) 2sneetesneet 1.

G. L. ANDERS.

Telephone Signaling Apparatus.

240,7. 7 Patented May 3,1881

(NeMedeL) 2 Sheath-Sheet 2.

' eeLbAnmens Telephone Signaling Apparatus.

' i No; 240,8?8. v I Patented May 3,1881.-

Luvs IN 9/01: 9. WWW

UNITED STATS GEORGE E F O MASSACHUSETTS, AssieN'o-a To AMERL JA BELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, or SAME PLACE TELEPHONE SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,878, dated MayS, 1881. l

Application filed April 19, 1880. (No inodcl.)

To albwhom it may concern I Be it known that l, GEO. L. ANDERs, of Boston, county of Suii'olk, State of-Massnchusetts, have invented an Improvement in Telephone Signal Apparatus, of which the following description, in connection with the accom- I 'panying drawings, .is "a specification.

My inventioirrelates to signals. and is one of that class known as individual signals. in io which a series of stations are all provided with signals operated in the, same electric circuit,

but arranged so that only the desired one of.

the whole series'w ill be operated atanyone time. i

' In anindividual-signal system inventedby inc and.patented under "the number 219,059 anddate September 2,1879, a signal control- .ling mechanismhaving astenby-siep movement actuated by an electro-inagnet was arranged to-allow a'signal to be given after a certainnumber-oi" increments, thesaid numher being diflcrentin each instrument, and'consequentl'y an operator, by sending the proper number of electric impulses of theri ght ch arnc- 2 5 ter to actuate the -stepby-step' nechunisin, can

setany oneof tlieiiistruments iii'condition to o In the patentreferred to, aswell as in other modifications of the same principle upon which applications for patents are now pending, the

diiferent operations of setting the controlling mechanism and ringing the hell, or bringing the different instruments into, unison, "have beenscparately performed by currents of opposite polarity applied by a common reversingkey, which must be placed between thebab teryand all/the instruments; that areto'be 'justment or care.

iparatus out of use and a signalgawaited.

affected thereby, and has-been shown as ma.- 5o nipulated by an operator ata central ofice, such method of operation being perhaps the best when all the signals are to be'givcn from one point. i i a The object of my present.inventionistoen able signals to be\given from anyone to any 1 other station independentlyoi' all the rest of, 1

the stations on the same circuit, whichconld v only be accomplished whcre revcrse currents are employed by placing-,a suflicient' battery at each station to operate all the sig n l-instru' mentsl accomplish this by actuatingthc step-by-a step mechanism by variationsmin, the strength;

of the current, each such variation causing the ,65

said mechanism in; all-the instruments toad; vnnce one step, and being easily inade'by an operator at any station byintrodncing resistance into'thecircuit at that station The in strumen-ts are broi'ight' toa unison or common 11 starting-point by breaking,tlieci fcuit, andin pract-ice this operation may beused assa return-signal to show that the signalhasbeen received, the communicant desiring to call an;

other operating a key to interpose resistancethe proper number of tllllBS iIO enable the desiredsignal to be sounded, andthefone called, upon receiving the signal, operatingakeyto break the circuit, and consequently set the. in

struments in unison, which, being, observed, 8

informs the first signalcr thatthe second has received his notice. The,suitablerfisistance; coils and keys to interpose them and breakthe circuit can readily be supplied in conne'cr 1 tion with each instrument, ,and requirefno ad; Theinventiou also consistsin givingjthe signal by causing the step-by-step,

mechanism, after the appropriatenumbenof movements for a given instrumentgto clos circuit through a vibratmg belhandes he u j. shown the said circuit the. localcircuitofl theusualmicrophonetransmitting;instrumerrt, which is not rcqui'i ed for transmitting,whilea 1 signal is being given or the'co'mniunicatingap 5 Itis'obviousthitt this apparatus mayb. (2P1; erated from a central'ofiice l i esi d; a t

,-in w.h1oh case thevr'esistance-eoils and keys for inte'rposing them may heomitted at all except the'central station. t v v lfignrel is-a'frontelevation of a signal apparatus'with the partsi'n the position. assumed v .wlien the circuit'is broken and 'allthe-instruments in unison or at the common-starting point foroperation 5 Fig. 2, aview of the same 4 with the; parts 'iii-pos1t1oi1 to give a signal;

' F'ig; 3, aplan "view thereof, and Fig. 4a dia gram showing more clearly the electric oilcuits'and th'eir relation 'to the instrument. Fig.5'is ad agram showing the relative po- Tsitionof the aru'rfor closing the signal-bell ihireuitiin two in'struments'of a series.

The operating electro-magnet Ais supported'on the frame-work, with its poles A ex tending thfongtlra plate, 13,: sustaining the parts' of .t.hestep-by-'step movement, actuated by the armature G, pivoted .at 2 on the said" plate B. The armature G isprovided at its upper en'd with a pawl, E,=w hich, when the saidarmature-is drawnup to the magnet, as shown in Fig., 2, engages the ratchet-wheel Gr,

-- one tooth, meeting-at theend of said movement the pin a, which presses it against the wheel G, to preventit'froin bein'gcarried fari ther, by its momentum. WVhen the armature v(J is released vand falls back from themagnet. the pawl E- strikes the pin b ,'and raised thereby out of range'ot' theteeth of the wheel G, to allow it to turn back -but while the stepby-step movement is going-on the saidwheel is engaged bythe retaining-pawl V, held in- -.p'roper positionthereihr by the armature It, pivoted-at 3, and remaining attracted to the magnet A'during the movement of thearma 'ture O, which is released by-a reduction of the,

strength of' 'the' current, as 'hereinafter descrlbed, not. sufifioient to 031150 the release of i thearmature R.

The retracting-spring-H of the armature U is attached to the pawl E in such manner, as shown, that italso has .a tendency to force the end of the said pawl down into engagement with the-wheel G.

) In the step-bystep movement of the wheel' lr' caused by thefvibration of the armature G, the said wheel, rotated'againsta slight retractlng force,-shown as a spiral spring, K,

surrounding the shaft I, and attached at'one operationof the arma'tures (3 It. As'in its nor-,-

end to thesaid :s'ha t't and at the other to the frame-work, so that when both of thepawls Y and E are withdrawn by their retracting-I springs H and r, as shown in Fig. 1, upon the demagnetization of the magnet A the saidwheel is rotated in a reverse direction by the said spring K until the pin L' upon its, shaft I engages a pin,.M, on the plate -B, and thus.

stops the said shaft and wheel at a definite point, from which it will be started upon a new mal condition the circuit isclosed through the magnet A, both armatures ,0 R will. be attracted as soon as the key used tobreak the tir'cuit-a'nd set back thewheel G, as just described, is returned toitshormal condition,

2, in'engagement with the teeth-of the said wheel G, itself set back mthe position 'showii in Fig. 1, until a new signalis .t0 b, e giveni', whenthe armature 'O'isvibrated and the wheelG rotated. The said ratchetwheel G'maybe provided with any means to control a signal either .n'iechanically or electrically, permitting the said signal to be given only when the said wheel has reachedone definite point-in, its rotation and remains there,

this partfii' the-instrument being denominated the signal-controlling mechanism. I n'the' andconsequently the pawls E V will remain, v

as shown in Fig.

present invention the signal is eontrolledelotrically, the wheel Gr being providedwitha circuit-closin'g-"arm, N, which, after acertain number of vibrations of the armature (J, and

consequentad vancelnent of the wheel G, comes in ,the,positionshown in Fig. 2, to be met by the com plementary Circuit-CloserO, carried the armature G, bu-tinshl'ated therefrom by the block l) in, the movement-of the sa-id'armav ture up to the poles of the magnet.

It will be seen that the a'rm N has a rotary movement, while the circuit-closer O, which is ,a yielding spring, comes against it, :tlnis'giving a rubbing contact. I The arms N in the ditierent inst-1 uments of thecircuitare all placed in ditferent positions relat'iye to the starting-point ot' the wheel G. if the tooth t, which is opposite the eircuitcloser Ur -when the instruments are in their normal initial position, as before described, is.

taken as a starting-point, the arm N ot'the instrumentin hand is placed opposite the set-fenth 'tooth, so that if just seven ot' the'proper changes'are made in the current to \'ibrate the opposite and met by the vcircuit-closer 0, to

ouit-s'are momentarily closed at each instrument, where the-said armis at a Iessdistance from the tooth t-than that of the station to be circuit has heenfclosed for a longer time than intervenes between the steps of the movement.

, The instruments-are operated as follows:. (magmas of the actuating-current, starting from the'bindiug-screw 5, passes by wire ;6 to

the spring breaking-key e'. normally-incontact with its back-stop through which the cum rentpasses to the resist-ance nkey f, "joined .by wire? with the coils offthe magnet A, from 'which the circuit is continued .bywifre 8 to the frame-work of the instrument,and. thence by .wire 9 to the binding-screw 10, .B etwee'n 'the baok-stop-g of the keys of andth'e magnet A armature (J, thearm iuwil'l be brought around IIC signaledI The-signals are consequently man slow iinaotioman'd do not, operate untilithepreferajbl y be of a resistance equal to more than moms 3 are placed the resistance-coils d, which should half of the main circuit, the said coils being shown as connected by wire 11 with the buckstop 9, and by wire 12 withthe key f. By this arrangement, when thekeys cf are in their normal position the circuit passes over them and the stop gthrough-the magnet a, the resistance d being short-circuited, and the cur rent acts with full force on the magnets A of the difl'erent instruments, which consequently hold both armatures O R in the position shown in Fig. 2. When the key f is depressed the short circuitis broken between it and the stop and the current is obliged to pass through I the coils d, thereby reducing the magnetic force but the latter does not, so thatat each depresotflthc magnet A without wholly demagnetizingit. The retracting-springs H and r are so adjusted that the former overcomes the attractive force of the magnet when thus reduced,

sion of the key f the armature falls back,

- shownin the drawings,thekeyf of theinstru-E and when the keyis released is again attracted,

thus moving the signal-controlling mechanism in all the instruments.

For example. if it bia desired to call the station of the instrument ment of thestationcalling would be depressed seven times, bringing the arm N of the said instrumentopposite the circuit-closer O", which would remain pressed against it, retaining a local circuit through it closed until the instrument was further operated,.t-he arms N of the other instruments in the circuit either having passed or not yet reached. their corresponding circuit-closers O. The said local circuit is shownin'Fig. 4 as passing through the local battery I of the usual mic'rophone-transmitt er m, the circuit 15 16 thereof used for transmission being then open at the usual automatic switch s.

are connected with .the line-wire.

The transmitter m is connected with the line by an induction-coil, z, having-its primary circuit in the local transmitting-circuit 15 16 and its secondary circuit in the line-wire. The coils of the telephone-receiver, which, when not in use, hangs upon the switch s,as shown, A shunt around the receiver and induction-coilis closed when the switch 8 is depressed, and broken when it is allowed to rise on removal of the telephone-receiver.

The local circuit for signaling is 'shown as passing from the battery I, by wire 17, to the circuit-closer O, and'from the otherpole of the- .said battery, by wire 18, to the vibrating bell P, and thence by wire 19 to'th'e frame-work of the machine and arm N. "This local circuit is connected at the binding-screws 10 of the other figures. In order that the signals 1? should not operate duringthe momentary closing of the circuit at O N at the stations not .to be called, thesaid signals should be slow in their action, which can be secured by proriding a weight, 10, on their hammers.

As before described, the local circuit of anyinstrument, afterouce being closed, willremaiu I so until theinstrument is further operated,- which might be done by depressing the keyj, in which case another station would be called, but will usually be done by depressing the breaking-key c, which breaks the circuit at c g, and consequently demagnetizes the magnets A, and releases both armatures G R of all the instruments, and allows thewheels G to be all placed at theircommon starting-point; This will usually be done-by the --pcrsonreceiving the signal, who thus stops his signal .from' "It will be noticed that the signal-controlling mechanism is very light and easily moved, so

that. the? apparatus can i be operated with scarcely more power than is needed to give the required pressure of-the spring ()i'or agood electrical contact, or,'in other words, to operate acounnon relay. i i

It's obvious that the mechanical construction maybe v'ariedfas well as the mans'of controlling the actuating electric current, without departing from my invention, which-consists, mainly, in adapting an individual-signal. system operated by successive changes in an electric current tobe used for signalin'gbetween the diflerent stations on a circuit.- The signal-controlling mechanism may render all i the signals. silent but one mechanically, as in some of my former inventions,and thesignal operatedby currents in the same main circuit which operates the controlling mechanism, or the circuit-closer N 0 may close a shunt of the said main circuit or throw a signal into the main circuit.

I claim- 1. In an electric signal'apparatus, a series of instruments at difl'erent, stations in the same electric circuit, each consistingof a signal-controlling nechanism and an electro-ma-gnet to operate it to set the controlling mechanism in positionito allow a signal to be given bya deftnite number, different for .each instrument of the series, of changes in the electric current controlling the said opcratingmagnet, and mechanism, also controlled by an electro-magnet, to set all thesignal-controlling mechanisms in unison or at a common starting-point by another change in the electric current, and means at each of the said stations to make either of the said changes in the electriccurrent, thereby to enable an operator atany station to cause a signal to be given at anyother station of the circuit, or to set all the, 'instrumcntsin unison after a signal has'been givem'the coils of the 1 electro-maguets, as well for setting the several instruments in unison-as for operating them to givea signal, be'inginclnded in the circuit connecting the stations, so as to be traversed by the currents on said circuit, substantially as described.

2.- In a signalappnratus. asignal-controlling mechanism to be set in position to give asignal, and an electro-magnet and an armature therefor operated to actuate the said control-ling mech- 5 signal-controllingmechanism at a definite" auism by variationsin thev strength of an unbroken electric current, and mechanism 0per-' ated'upou the demagnetization of an electromagnet to set thesignal-controllin g mechanism at a definite starting-point, substantially as described.

3. loan electric signal apparatus, a series of signal-stations, each containing instruments consisting ofvsi gnal-controlling mechanism and an electro-maguet and its armature, operated by interposing resistance in the circuit a deli nite number of? times to set the said mechanism in position to give a' signal, and mechanism" operated by breaking the circuit to set the starting point, combi ned'with a key at each one otiflthe said stations, to enable the operatorto break the circuit and set the mechanism of all taining-pawl'is not afl'eeted by the variations in the strength of current required to. operate the actuating-armature, butis released by a further weaken-ingor cessation of the current,s'ubstant'ially as described.

the'instruments' at the said starting-point, sn'b- 5. The combination, with two local circuits connect-ed with the poles of the samebattery,

of a telephonic transmitter and switch in one of said circuits and a vibrating or circuit-breakiug-bell and circuit-closer in the other,saidcir- Y cuit-closer being operated bycurrents on the main line, substantially as described.

6. In a signal apparatus, a series. of instrn meats, each containing mechanism adapted after a definite number, different in each, ofiifipulses to close an electric circuit, combined with vibrating bells placed in thesaidcircuit, made slow in operation, whereby they will not-be sounded by the momentary closing of the said circuitfcaused by the'movement thereof necessary for the operation of a signal at another station', substantially as described.

' "T. The herein-described circuit-closer, consisting of an arm forming one terminal of an electric circuit and capable of being rotated by a vibrating armature, and a circuitcloser form ingt he other terminal of the said'circuit, earned by the said armature and broughttherebyinto contact with the. said arm .whenit has arrived in theproper position in its rotation, substan= tially asdescribed. v

' '8. Anelectro-magnetand two armatures,onc adapted to be vibrated by changes in the streugthof a continuous electric current to 0p crate astep-by-step mechanism, and the other adapted to prevent a backward .ruov'e nent ot the said mechanism while thus operated, but to -releaseit when the current is broken, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to this specification in the'presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE can ANDERS.

Witnesses: I

- Jos. 1 Lnvuamoaa, NJE. 0. WHIT EY. 

